Sony’s latest additions to its block camera lineup reflect the innovation and expansion of the marketplace with the arrival of new applications for visual imaging as well as refinements in traditional ones.
The FCB E-Series of color block cameras cover a variety of features, optical zoom ranges and advanced capabilities including Progressive Scan imaging. The wide-ranging scope of the new block cameras is designed to provide original equipment manufacturers and systems integrators the right camera for an expanding number of applications including security, intelligent traffic, unmanned vehicles, low vision, inspection and videoconferencing.
“The growth of the FCB lineup is Sony’s response to tremendous industry innovation that is developing new applications for color block cameras,” said Ken LaMarca, vice president of the visual imaging products division at Sony Electronics. “Building on Sony’s imaging excellence, these cameras are designed to give our customers the flexibility of selecting the appropriate feature mix to meet the needs of this increasingly diverse market.”
LaMarca noted that these additions also offer refinements to established block camera applications. For example, increased low light sensitivity, resolution and progressive scan imaging can be used to enhance traditional security applications.
The FCB E-Series is comprised of 10 cameras with zoom ranges from 18x to 36x. The top-of-the-line FCB-EX1020 and EX1020P open new horizons with true progressive scan imaging combined with an IP-ready digital output. Progressive scan images magnified with 36x optical zoom (up to 432x combined optical and digital zoom) produce clear pictures of far away moving objects, in applications such as automatic license plate recognition applications (ALPR).
New Wide-D modes create exceptional dynamic range to improve high-contrast images under a broad range of lighting conditions.
The variety of the E-Series lineup allows customers to select which specific features are needed for particular applications providing the best price/performance combination. For example, in surveillance and intelligent traffic applications when a camera is shooting under a sodium vapor lamp (typically a street lamp or tunnel lamp), images could appear to have a yellowish tint. The FCB E Series feature a new Sodium Vapor Lamp Mode that automatically compensates for the sodium vapor lamp degree of Kelvin to restore objects to their original color. In addition, all E-Series cameras utilize a digital interface (Y/Cb/Cr 4:2:2) that deliver virtually non-deteriorated images by removing the need for an external analog/digital converter.
The FCB E Series cameras are currently available. Sony will continue to expand its FCB line up with additional SD and HD block cameras scheduled for release by mid 2011.
